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Aretha Franklin Gets Respect from Michigan Lawmakers

State house votes to rename highway in honor of the late Queen of Soul

Lawmakers in Michigan have approved the renaming of a section of highway in memory of Aretha Franklin. The state House voted to change part of Detroit’s M-10 to the “Aretha L. Franklin Memorial Highway.” The bill still must be approved by the state Senate.

The renaming “would be an appropriate way to honor a music and cultural icon who selflessly gave of her time, her vocal and pianistic talents, and her energy and resources to the citizens of Detroit, the state of Michigan, and the United States of America,” the bill reads.

Franklin grew up in Detroit and developed her gospel voice at New Bethel Baptist Church. The Queen of Soul died in her hometown last year after battling pancreatic cancer. She was 76.